Jetboil Genesis Basecamp System Isobutane: first impressions
Jetboil took its award-winning Genesis Basecamp System and made it compatible with standard isobutane fuel canisters. This ingenious double-burner stove combines lightweight portability with ferocious power to give you a complete kitchen when you're car camping.
The Basecamp System comes neatly packed inside a carrying bag with a handle, and the savvy stove folds in half and easily locks shut for stowing and transportation. When you're ready to cook, unfold it and screw on your fuel regulator – the gas canister can fuel both rings at once.
To ignite the rings, turn the knob and flick an ignition switch. The burners will roar to life and you can juggle a 5l FluxPot to cook pasta, rice, potatoes or soup as well as a ceramic-coated nonstick fry pan for eggs, veggies, burgers or whatever camping meal you fancy on the day.
• List price: $449.99 (US) / £399.99 (UK)
• Fuel Type: Isobutane
• Weight: 9lb 2oz / 4.1 kg
• Boil time (at sea level): 3 minutes 15 seconds per liter
• Ignition: Lever
• Dimensions (stored): 10.3 x 7.2in / 26.2 x 18.3cm
• Extras: 5l FluxPot, 10in ceramic-coated nonstick fry pan, windscreen and carry bag
• Best use: Car camping
Water will boil in under three minutes and your frying pan will heat up lightning quick, but you can turn the burners down and manage heat flow quite well. The included wind screen isn't the best we've tried, but you'd need to be cooking in a gale for wind to pose any real threat to the flame.
When you're finished cooking, the materials barely retain any heat so you can pack them up instantly and get on your way if you're in a rush.
Neat, efficient, light and easy to use, this camping stove is an absolute dream for any car camper and the only thing that will make you think twice is the high price.
JetBoil Genesis Basecamp System Isobutane: in the field
I've been adventuring with my Jetboil Flash 1.0 for a while now, which is great for quickly making a backpacking meal or hot chocolate, but if I'm car camping with my partner and family, it's always been our trusty Trangia that feeds us.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Trangia for reasons I've written about here, but when I heard that Jetboil had updated its double-burner Basecamp System, I jumped at the chance to give it a shot.
I first tested this out in the backyard so I wouldn't find myself struggling with it in the wild with hungry children glaring at me, and the pictures I've shared here are from that experiment. However, we've since had it out on every car camping trip this summer.
Design and features
My only other experience with a double-burner stove is the Vango Combi IR Grill Compact, which folds up like a suitcase, but this one has quite a genius design.
The neat, circular stove folds in half to stack the two burners for transport and storage. There's a handle on both sides that clips away and means you can easily pull it out no matter which way it was facing when you packed it. Simply unclip the rubber leashes that secure it and unfold it, and you have two circular burners side by side.
The fuel connector screws into the stove and into any isobutane canister, and there's a knob on each burner to control the gas flow, with two ignition levers to light them.
The stove comes with a 5l FluxPot and 10in (25cm) ceramic-coated nonstick fry pan, both of which are lightweight and have handles that remain cool when you're cooking and fold away. The 5l pot has a lid to help boil water faster, and there's a windscreen included.
Weight and packability
The whole package is designed to easily pack inside the 5l pot, and it comes with a cylindrical carry bag with handles that makes it super-easy to carry from car to campsite. There's even a little extra room for other kitchen utensils (I keep a spatula, sporks, and chopping board in there now).
Compared to a lot of other portable double-burner stoves, it's really quite light and a lot more packable, easily stashing into the very small trunk of our tiny car or behind the front seats.
Ease of use and performance
In my initial field test, I wanted to see how far I could get without reading the instruction manual, and in fact, it's all pretty intuitive.
I unfolded the stove and connected the fuel. I only needed to check the manual to find the ignition, which is a small red lever that I had to flick once for fire. The burners roared to life ferociously, and I set about bringing one liter of water to a boil and frying an egg.
Because I was only boiling one liter of water, it was bubbling in about two minutes, while my egg started to bubble away before I realized I needed to turn the heat way down underneath it. Suffice to say, it all happens in a Jetboil flash.
Because I was just giving the stove a quick test, I packed it all up almost immediately and was pleased to find the equipment wasn't super hot and I didn't have to hang around waiting for it to cool.
Over time we've figured out how to cook food at a lower setting. Now, our eggs don't have bubbles in them and this summer we've successfully made pasta, sausages and mash, and several nice cooked breakfasts.
We've managed to nail the simmer function, but if you want to cook things on a really low heat, you might struggle, but that's not a priority for me at camp because the aim of the game is always food, fast. The only drawback, compared to my Vango stove, is that you can't make toast.
Unusually for Scotland, we've not had to contend with much wind recently, which is good because the Basecamp System's wind screen isn't the best. It's a plastic sheet that site near the stove, but it's a little flimsy and unwieldy. That said, I think it would take a serious wind to affect the burners, and in that instance, I'd think about setting up elsewhere. Since this stove is designed for car campers, you could obviously use your car as a wind screen.
Durability and value
This stove is built of tough stuff and doesn't creak unnervingly like my Vango, which makes it seem cheap in comparison. The pans are equally sturdy and well designed.
The Jetboil Genesis Basecamp System Isobutane is a top-of-the-line double burner and in comparison to the competition, it truly excels in packability and weight, ease of use and quick boiling performance. You won't be surprised to hear that it's easily the priciest we've tested, but you certainly get what you pay for, and if you love car camping, there's no reason why this spend won't make you very happy.
Also consider
Easy on the wallet, this easy-to-use double burner lets you boil, sauté and even make toast underneath. It packs up like a suitcase with a carrying handle and the lid provides some wind protection. It's not got the power of a Jetboil, but it lets you cook for the whole family, though you'll need to bring your own pots and pans.
Read our full Vango Combi IR Grill Compact camping stove review
Pros
- Compact, streamlined design
- Great cooking capacity
- Fuel efficient
- Easy to use and clean
- Budget friendly
Cons
- Minimal wind resistance
- No carrying handle
- Locking latches are a little cheap and fiddly
If it's fast-cooking power you want over anything else, and you don't need the bells and whistles of a double burner, check out the Jetboil Flash 1.0. Like the Basecamp, this design has been updated with a turn-and-click ignition and boils water at camp faster than you can say "that's hot". It's perfect for backpackers who just need hot water and don't want extra weight.
Pros
- Boils water at a lightning-fast pace (under two minutes)
- New ignition switch lights stove with one click
- Easy to lock into place
- Lightweight
- Comes with stabilizing feet and measuring cup
- Fuel efficient
Cons
- Large size
- Only works with Jetboil pot
Comparison table
Camping stove |
Jetboil Genesis Basecamp System Isobutane |
Vango Combi IR Grill Compact |
Jetboil Flash 1.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
Price |
$449.99 (US) / £399.99 (UK) |
£90 (UK only) |
$129.99 (US) / £139.99 (UK) |
Weight |
9lb 2oz / 4.1 kg |
8lb 8oz / 3.87kg |
13oz / 400g |
Boil time |
195 seconds |
240 seconds |
120 seconds |
Packed size |
10.3 x 7.2in / 26.2 x 18.3cm |
23.4 x 5.7 x 13.5in / 59.5 x 14.5 x 34.5cm |
4.25 x 7.5in / 10.8 x 19cm |
Ignition |
Lever |
Auto Piezo |
Turn and click |
Best use |
Car camping |
Car camping |
Car camping, backpacking |
